Overcome Travel Anxiety
Whether it's fear of flying, driving, elevators, or the metro, travel anxiety can be debilitating and embarrassing. The good news is that while this condition is painful, it is also extremely common and highly responsive to treatment.
What Is Travel Anxiety?
The term "travel anxiety" is a broad category that covers a range of unique fears and phobias people experience getting from one place to another. For example, some people are afraid to fly because they are terrified of turbulence while other nervous flyers don't even notice a bumpy ride but can't stand to be trapped in a confined space. Some enjoy tight spaces but would give just about anything to avoid the take-off part of a flight. Anxious drivers may avoiding driving or they might go out of their way so they don't have to merge or make a left turn. Finally, some people are afraid of their own fear and find that they have become increasingly avoidant of situations that scare them or make them uncomfortable.
Prevalence
Phobias are extremely common. According to a 2007 national survey by Harvard Medical School, in a given year, about 9.1% of U.S. adults will have had a specific phobia, and 12.5% of U.S. adults will experience a phobia in their lifetimes. According to the same survey, 4.7% of adults will experience panic disorder in their lifetimes. A much higher percentage will have experienced panic attacks.
Causes
Sometimes, a specific negative experience leads to a phobia or panic. However, for many people who experience these conditions, the causes may not be as clear. Factors that can contribute include genetics, environment, interpersonal stressors, and trauma.
How Would We Address It?
I will work with you to identify the situations that make you anxious and then to develop an individualized plan to help you overcome your anxiety. Typically, this plan will involve several components: teaching you skills you can use to address your fear when it arises; for nervous flyers, teaching you about the science of flying as well as about the commercial airline industry; and developing a stepwise plan for you to practice and implement your skills so that you can face the situations you dread and start living the life you want.
What Is Travel Anxiety?
The term "travel anxiety" is a broad category that covers a range of unique fears and phobias people experience getting from one place to another. For example, some people are afraid to fly because they are terrified of turbulence while other nervous flyers don't even notice a bumpy ride but can't stand to be trapped in a confined space. Some enjoy tight spaces but would give just about anything to avoid the take-off part of a flight. Anxious drivers may avoiding driving or they might go out of their way so they don't have to merge or make a left turn. Finally, some people are afraid of their own fear and find that they have become increasingly avoidant of situations that scare them or make them uncomfortable.
Prevalence
Phobias are extremely common. According to a 2007 national survey by Harvard Medical School, in a given year, about 9.1% of U.S. adults will have had a specific phobia, and 12.5% of U.S. adults will experience a phobia in their lifetimes. According to the same survey, 4.7% of adults will experience panic disorder in their lifetimes. A much higher percentage will have experienced panic attacks.
Causes
Sometimes, a specific negative experience leads to a phobia or panic. However, for many people who experience these conditions, the causes may not be as clear. Factors that can contribute include genetics, environment, interpersonal stressors, and trauma.
How Would We Address It?
I will work with you to identify the situations that make you anxious and then to develop an individualized plan to help you overcome your anxiety. Typically, this plan will involve several components: teaching you skills you can use to address your fear when it arises; for nervous flyers, teaching you about the science of flying as well as about the commercial airline industry; and developing a stepwise plan for you to practice and implement your skills so that you can face the situations you dread and start living the life you want.